“Perfect. Now let me ask you about this legal thing…” I said as I focused on the next thought that came into my mind.
“What legal thing?”
I hesitated a moment before answering her, trying to piece together the string of thoughts and images my crew was sending. There was something not quite right here. “Did Eddie go see an attorney about a prenup?”
“Noooo…” Ellie said, drawing out the O.
I scratched my head and focused. “Are you sure? My crew is definitely saying that Eddie is seeing an attorney about something.”
“We haven’t even talked about a prenup,” Ellie insisted. “Truly, it’s never come up.”
“Is he going to an attorney for any other reason? Like did one of his patients threaten to sue him?”
Ellie squirmed in her chair and began to look frightened. “Abs, he’s got malpractice insurance up the yin-yang, and as far as I know no one is threatening a lawsuit. Is that what you see?” she asked me, tension making her voice tight. “Do you see him getting sued?”
I concentrated as hard as I could on Eddie’s energy, and the very next image did nothing to calm my fears. In my mind’s eye I saw Eddie sitting on a bird swing, rocking back and forth. The image pulled back and the door to the cage banged shut. Uh-oh. Unless I was wrong, Ellie’s fiancé was about to go to jail.
Now, I know most people would agree that I should filter a message like this and avoid telling my client what I’m seeing so as not to upset them. But long ago I took a vow never to do that. I’d broken that vow exactly once, and had no intention of ever doing so again. I gathered my courage and began, “Ellie, I want you to prepare yourself, because what I’m picking up isn’t pleasant.”
Ellie’s face went stark white and her eyes opened wide. “What is it? What do you see, Abby?”
“Eddie’s headed to jail.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry, Ellie, but that’s what I’m getting. Something bad is going down, and Eddie’s going to need an attorney. And a good one.”
It took Ellie a long time to speak. When she did she said, “You’re sure?”
“Yes, honey. There are certain metaphors that are old standards for me. My sign for a jail cell keeps coming up in my head when I ask about Eddie. Moreover, my crew keeps saying ‘lawyer’ and pointing to Eddie. I don’t know when, and I don’t know why, but it’s soon, whatever it is.”
Ellie’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked at me with a face that begged me to take it back. “But Abby, I love him. He’s a good man. There’s nothing he could be doing that would send him to jail!”
I looked at her with deep compassion, then closed my eyes and focused hard. Why is Eddie going to jail? I asked my crew. My crew answered by giving me a strange mix of signals. When I thought I had it figured out I opened my eyes and said, “I’m not sure what I’ve got here, Ellie, but I feel like Eddie may have done something to break the law, but there is also this feeling like he didn’t do what they say he did. It’s like he had no choice, like he was compelled or forced to do what he did, and that’s why I believe a good attorney can help him.”
“Do you know what it is that he’s done?” she asked, her face still pale and frightened.
“No,” I said as I dug hard for that. “All they’ll tell me is that he was forced to do this thing that is against the law. He had no choice. There’s also this sense of wanting to run away. I keep feeling like I want to hide, and it has to do with this issue of being forced into something.”
“Abby, he’s a good guy!” she burst out.
“I know, honey, but—”
“And besides that, I’m pregnant!”
“Ellie,” I said, reaching across the table to take her hand. “I could be wrong. I can misinterpret on occasion.”
“‘Liar, liar…pants on fire…’” Ellie whispered. She was openly sobbing now.
“No, really, it’s true,” I insisted. “I can be wrong—”
“Not you, Abby…Eddie. This morning in the driveway. That’s what you said about Eddie. That he was a liar.”
“Ellie, I’m a long way from home, here. And this altitude could really be screwing with my antennae. I didn’t mean to upset you. I really am sorry about all this.”
“I can’t imagine what he’s done,” Ellie said. “I can’t imagine what he’d be forced into that he would go to jail for.”
“Maybe it’s time you and Eddie had a heart-to-heart?”
Ellie nodded, the tears still flowing. “This is awful,” she said as she put her head down on her arm to cry.
I reached out and stroked her shoulder when I heard, “Knock, knock,” from the doorway.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, startled that someone else had entered the room. Looking up, I noticed a petite woman standing in the doorway. She was as little in stature as my sister, but with brown hair and big wide eyes, and I remembered her from the dinner the night before. I thought I remembered her name was Kelly, and she was also one of the bridesmaids. “Hi, there. What’s up?” I asked, still patting Ellie’s shoulder.
“Ellie said to send the next person up after twenty minutes. It was my turn, so I came upstairs and…Ellie, are you okay?” she asked, noticing for the first time that Ellie was crying.
“I’m fine. Just a little emotional these days,” Ellie said as she raised her head and wiped her tears. “I think I just need to go lie down for a while. Can you please let everyone else know that I’m not feeling well, and if they want to stay they’re welcome to, but I won’t be joining the rest of the party?”
“Oh,” Kelly said, coming into the room and putting a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, I’ll be okay. Thanks,” Ellie said, getting to her feet as her lip quivered and more water leaked out of her eyes. “I just really need to be alone right now.” And with that she bolted for her bedroom.
I watched her go and felt like one hundred and twenty pounds of smelly caca. Goddamn it. This part of my job sucked.
“What did you say to her?” Kelly asked me.
“Nothing I can share, I’m afraid,” I replied. “Listen, Kelly—right?”
“Yes.”
“I know you were next, and I’m so sorry to do this to you, but I am not up for any more readings tonight.”
“That’s okay,” Kelly said, quick to reassure me. “I didn’t really want my fortune told anyway. You people scare me!”
I smiled tiredly at her as I mentally shut down my radar. “Thanks for understanding. Listen, can you do me one more tremendous favor?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Could you drive me to Ellie’s aunt Vivian’s? I’m exhausted, and if I don’t get some sleep soon I’m gonna drop where I’m standing.”
“Of course, Abby. Let me just break up the party downstairs and we’ll go, okay?”
“Thanks, Kelly. While you’re talking to the girls I’ll get changed.”
As Kelly went downstairs I headed into the bathroom, where I’d left my clothes folded on the counter, and changed out of Ellie’s cashmere tracksuit. Before going back downstairs I knocked on Ellie’s door to see if she was okay, but she didn’t answer, and my intuition suggested that I should leave well enough alone.
I met Kelly in the living room as the rest of the girls were packing their things and cleaning up so that Ellie didn’t have to do it later. I’m not sure what Kelly had told them, but each one found a way to give me an evil look as I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot while I waited for Kelly to grab her coat and keys. We were out the door a minute later, and I was supremely relieved.
“Vivian is over on Scottsdale, right?” Kelly asked me as we fastened our seat belts.
“Sounds familiar,” I said, realizing I didn’t really know where she lived. “Just don’t ask me how to get there; I have no idea where I am in this city.”
“I’ve been to her house once, last Fourth of July. I remember these big pink flamingos in her front yard. She’s
a bit of an odd duck, that one.”
“Kooky,” I agreed.
“So where do you know Ellie from?”
“We go way back. She was my neighbor when she lived in Michigan, which was a million years ago.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember her saying that she was originally from there,” Kelly said.
“How do you know her?” I asked.
“She used to date my older brother.”
“Really?” I asked, looking at her. “How long ago?”
“Right before she dumped him for Eddie.” Kelly laughed.
“Ouch,” I said. “That’s great that you two can remain friends.”
“Yeah, if it were anyone else I’d hate her, but Ellie is my best friend. She’s just the nicest person. I’m not even close to being a social butterfly, and the fact that someone like her can be nice to me…well, I can’t help but love her, you know?”
“I’m right there with you, girlfriend. She is the nicest person I know. And she’s always taking care of people and thinking of them. Do you know that for three Valentine’s Days in a row when I was single Ellie sent me a huge bouquet of flowers with a card that said, ‘Just because you’re single doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get flowers today.”’
Kelly laughed. “She’s been sending me giant boxes of chocolate for two years, and this year she added a big stuffed bear.”
“I just wish I could have been as good a friend to her,” I said.
“Are you talking about the reading you just gave her?”
“Yeah…it’s bad enough giving tough news to a total stranger. When it’s someone you love, it just makes it that much harder to deliver.”
We fell silent for a bit as Kelly drove, and I looked out the window at the passing scenery. I could barely see the outline of the Rocky Mountains against the inky black sky. There was no moon tonight, and clouds seemed to cloak the night in a black mist. I leaned back in my seat and sighed, closing my eyes and listening to the radio, when I felt a familiar buzz in the back of my head—my crew had a message.
At first I tried to ignore them—I was too damn tired to tune in any more tonight—but the more I ignored it the stronger the buzz became. Finally, a little annoyed, I flipped my intuitive switch and got a forceful, Call Duffy!
Okay, I’ll call him in the morning, I thought.
Left side—heavy feeling…
You want me to call him right now?
Right side—light, airy feeling…
Opening my weary eyes I reached for my purse, dug out my cell phone and Duffy’s card, which he’d given to me at the hospital. “Who’re you calling?” Kelly asked.
“Duffy,” I said as I punched in his number.
“Reception out here might not be so good,” she said.
“It’ll go through,” I said, not bothering to explain that my crew would make sure of it.
“’Lo!” Duffy said as the line was picked up.
“Hey, Duff. It’s Abby,” I said.
“Hey, Abs. I’m glad you called. I’ve got some news. We found Gina’s car.”
“You’re kidding,” I said, sitting up straighter in my seat.
“Yep. About two hours ago.”
“Where?”
“At the airport. Parked in international parking.”
My intuition was humming at rapid speed now, and there was no way I believed Gina had taken a trip out of the country. This was a setup. “Duffy, you have got to believe me. She did not fly out of town.”
“I’m with ya. The other reason I needed to talk to you was that we found something in her car that I’m a little bothered by.”
“What?”
“Surgical scrubs. Size large. And they were soaked in blood.”
“Surgical…?” I didn’t finish that thought, because immediately I thought about my reading tonight with Ellie and how I had seen Eddie being carted off to jail and requiring an attorney. “Duffy, we have to talk…now.”
“Okay, where are you?”
“I’m with Kelly. She’s driving me to Viv’s.”
“I’m a few blocks over from Viv’s. Closer to you if you’re coming from Ellie’s, in fact. Have her drop you off at my place instead and I’ll swing you over to Viv’s when we’re done talking.”
“Cool, hold on.” Turning to Kelly, I asked, “Kelly, instead of dropping me at Viv’s could you please take me to Duffy’s?”
“I guess,” she said, looking slightly annoyed. “I don’t know where he lives, though.”
“Duffy, can you give her directions?”
“Sure, pass the phone to her,” he said, and I did.
About twenty minutes later we pulled into Duffy’s driveway. “Thanks, Kelly, I really appreciate the taxi service.”
“You’re welcome,” she said in a tight, clipped tone. She hadn’t spoken to me since I got off the phone with Duffy, and I couldn’t figure out what I’d said to piss her off, so I just let it be for now. I gave her a smile and closed the car door. As I turned and headed up Duffy’s walkway, I heard her zoom out of the driveway and accelerate down the street. Definitely pissed. Great.
The door opened before I had a chance to reach it, and a smiling Duffy greeted me. By the sight of him, I guessed he was freshly showered. His hair was still damp, and he smelled of soap and scented shampoo. He was dressed in a rust-colored knit sweater that molded itself to his toned torso. A pair of loose-fitting jeans hugged his hips, and even though it was thirty degrees outside, he was barefoot. “Hello, gorgeous,” he said warmly. “I was about to send out a search party; did you guys get lost?”
“Hey, yourself,” I said as I walked into his front hall. “I don’t know; Kelly never said a word to me after she hung up with you, so we might have.” Duffy waited next to me as I shrugged out of my coat, and while he hung it in the closet I had a chance to move into the interior and check out the digs.
Duffy’s house was similar to Vivian’s in structure—the same Tudor design, but that was where the resemblance ended. His beech hardwood floors were glossed to a high-polished shine. The walls were painted an off-white, and contemporary light fixtures added accents to the ceilings. After he’d put my coat away, he led me into his kitchen, which appeared newly updated with granite countertops and cherry-wood cabinets adorned with Art Deco pulls. The kitchen opened on the opposite side to the living room, which was decorated with a cream-colored couch and a matching love seat and thick shag throw rugs accented with a bleached-wood coffee table and matching side table. Here and there were Art Deco accents and artwork. Overall the home was warm and inviting, and matched Duffy’s personality so well I had to smile. “Nice place,” I said, nodding my head in approval.
“Thanks. It’s a work in progress, but it’s getting there. Have a seat,” he said, pointing to a bar stool on one side of the kitchen island. “Want to join me in a glass of wine?”
“Love it.”
“Chianti?”
“Perfect.”
Duffy poured us each a glass, then came around to join me at the bar. “So what’s up?”
I took a small sip of wine before answering him. The flavor was smooth and silky, with no bitter after-taste. It was fabulous. “I gave your sister a reading tonight,” I began, playing my finger around the rim of my wineglass.
“And by the look on your face I’m guessing the message wasn’t good.”
“Bingo.”
“Another cheating girlfriend in my future?” Duffy asked, giving me a sideways look.
“Huh?” I said, looking up at him. Then I remembered that my last reading with Ellie had revealed his eventual breakup with his ex, Rachel. “No,” I said, then added with a grin, “You know, it’s not always about you.”
Duffy laughed, lifting his wineglass in a “touche ´” gesture. “So what’d your little crystal ball reveal this time?”
“It’s about Eddie. And it’s bad.”
“How bad?”
“Bad enough to send Ellie to her bedroom in tears.”
??
?Can you tell me?” Duffy asked, his eyes intense with concern.
“Normally I would never betray your sister’s trust like this, but I think you need to know. At least, my feeling is that I need to bring you into the loop.”
“Okay,” Duffy said.
“I think that Eddie’s in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“The legal kind. In Ellie’s reading I got the strong feeling that he was going to need an attorney. A good one. I also got the distinct impression that he was going to be spending time in a jail cell.”
“Well, hell, Abs. You really know how to breeze into town and ruin a good party,” Duffy said, trying to make light.
“I’m serious, Duff,” I said, no hint of a grin on my face.
“I know; I’m sorry. So did you get a feeling for what he’s done or what he’ll do to warrant internment?”
“Not exactly. But my gut says that it’s heavy.”
“How heavy?”
“Gina’s-car-being-found-with-surgical-scrubs-full-of-blood heavy.”
Duffy looked at me for a long, intense moment as he considered what I’d just said. “No way,” he finally said. “I know the guy, Abs; it’s not possible.”
“And yet, Gina’s vanished into thin air. She has a history of playing with unavailable men. Her car’s discovered in an airport parking lot, and the only connection to what might have happened to her is the scrubs, which is the only outfit I’ve ever seen Eddie in.”
Duffy rubbed his chin for a minute, his five-o’clock shadow giving him a roguishly handsome look. “Damn,” he mumbled. “Fine. We’re running the scrubs through some DNA testing right now, but we won’t get those results back for a few weeks. In the meantime I’ll start asking some questions about Eddie.”
“Listen, for what it’s worth, whatever Eddie’s in trouble for, I know it was against his will. I got the strong feeling he was forced into a situation and he had little choice in the matter,” I said. “And I’ve met the guy, and his energy does not feel like that of a violent murderer. Having said that, I have to admit that this altitude could be jumbling my radar, and I just think it’s wise to be thorough here.”
“Okay. Enough said. You want more wine?”